Tides Pull
by Picklepeppers
Summary: A few weeks after Ponyo turns human, she can't stop thinking about her Father and their rocky relationship with each other. Can they mend the bond that the father and daughter have broken? Cute little one-shot about fatherly love.


**Hey guys its me!(: I recently watched Ponyo again and was reminded about how much I LOVE IT! This story idea has been floating around in my head for a while and i just had to get it out there! I hope you enjoy! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Ponyo, it belongs to Studio Ghibli and Hayao Miyazaki!**

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It had been a few weeks since Ponyo's final and permanent transformation into a human, and life was going quite well on the cliff by the sea. Koichi was finally re-united with his family and was introduced to the redheaded ball of energy known as Ponyo. At first Koichi had a hard time adjusting to being Ponyo's "Legal Guardian", be he was slowly getting used to having her around.

He still wasn't buying it when Sosuke or Lisa tried to explain to him how Ponyo used to be a magical goldfish, and that her and Sosuke were soul-mates for life now.

When Sosuke would come to his mother in frustrated tears after trying to explain Ponyo's story to his dad, Lisa would take him into her lap, rubbing his back and murmuring to him, "He will understand some day, Sosuke. Let's just be happy now that Ponyo is here."

Through the few fights and tears here and there, they still remained a happy family. Lisa was a lot happier now that Koichi was home, and they tried their best to have more family time and outings while Koichi was still off duty. Ponyo had liked Koichi from the start, and was really trying her hardest to be closer to him. Though he smiled and noticed her, there was still and undertow of discomfort on Koichi's part. Which led to the problems they were having now.

5 year old Ponyo sat on the back deck of their cozy house, looking down and half-heartedly and fiddling with her precious green bucket. Sosuke's giggles and screams of excitement brought her to look up, watching Koichi pass by them again with Sosuke in his arms, carrying him like a football. Ponyo smiled as she watched them, a sudden twinge in her heart catching her surprise. What was that? Koichi let out a low rumble of laughter, twisting his son around in his arms and lifting him up high in the sky before spinning around, Sosukes giggling madly and holding his arms out like an airplane. He was playing the airplane game! Ponyo broke into a wide smile at the sight of what was going on, excitment filling her body as she let out a loud giggle. She jumped up off her spot, her bucket clattering to the ground as she ran towards Koichi, letting out a loud squeal before clinging onto one of his legs like a monkey.

"Sosuke's Dad!" she squealed over and over again as Koichi gasped in surprise. Sosuke let out another giggle as he watched Ponyo from below, breaking into a toothy grin.

"Hey, Ponyo!" Koichi chuckled, leaning down and ruffling her messy red hair before turning back and tossing Sosuke into the air briefly, the boy squealing in surprise and bursting into fresh laughter. He proceded to let out a roar, taking giant monster steps while Ponyo clung onto his leg. Ponyo squealed, breaking out into peals of fresh laughter.

Squealing with laughter Ponyo glanced up with bright eyes at Koichi, watching as he spun his son around in the air. She paused her laughter as she focused, her curious gaze looking between Koichi and Sosuke. She felt a twinge in her heart again as she obesrved Koichi's eyes shining with love for his son, and Sosuke's eyes returning

the same affection for his daddy. How his large hands were wrapped tightly around him, and cradled him to his chest as he brought Sosuke back down. A beautiful father-son relationship. She felt the twinge again as she thought about her own daddy, how he never cradled her with love or played with her. She slowly let go of Koichi's leg, seeming to stare off into space.

Koichi hadn't taken notice of Ponyo's sudden change in demeanor, and lowered a still giggling Sosuke to the ground. "There you are, little soilder!" he chuckled.

Sosuke smiled at his dad, turning his head towards Ponyo to ask her if she wanted to go play. His smile faltered and was replaced with concern as he saw the state Ponyo was in, "Ponyo?" he asked tenderly, walking up to her.

She jumped, turning towards him with a sad look in her eyes, "Hm?"

"Whats wrong?" he asked concernedly, grabbing her hand.

She smiled at him, "Ponyo's okay Sosuke! Ponyo just needs to think!" she said cheerily, seeming to break from her sadness for a moment.

He smiled back, "Ok! Do you wanna go down by the be-" he was cut off by his mother calling him.

"Sosuke! I need your help down in the basement for a moment! Could you come in please?" she asked, peeping her head out the door.

"Ok mommy!" he responded before turning back to Ponyo, "I'll be right back!" and ran up the steps into the house.

Ponyo blinked, turning back to the horizon to look out at the beautiful scene before her. The setting sun cast dark orange strands across the deep ocean she loved, the sky a pastel of blue and pink. She smiled warmly as she looked down, feeling surprisingly calm for a girl her age. Her thoughts wandered back to her daddy Fujimoto, and she felt the painful twinge in her heart take away her smile again. A thought came to her mind, and little Ponyo started to race down the pathway of the cliff, headed to the beach below. She was going to do something nobody else would ever expect from a whirlwind of energy that she is.

She was going away to think.

She made her way to her favorite spot on the shoreline, sitting down on and overhanging rock and dipping her little feet into the water. She shivered, giggling as the cold ocean sensation sent warm feelings through her. Ponyo sighed as she gazed out to the ocean, wondering what her real daddy was doing right now. She remembered watching Koichi and Sosuke's actions, and how they had a close relationship with each other. She huffed, suddenly feeling jealous. _Why couldn't my daddy smile at me and hug me?! Why couldn't my daddy spin me around and play games with me?! Or read me stories...Or tell me he loves me..Or rub my back and hold me when i was sad..._ she felt frustrated tears prickling in her eyes, dripping down her cheeks and into the ocean.

She could faintly hear Sosuke calling for her and looking for her up above, but she chose not to respond right now. She was still thinking, and thinking hard!

Ponyo was often inspired by Sosuke's actions, since she loved the boy with all her heart. Seeing him have fun and love his father made her feel bad about always running away from her daddy and trying to evade him. Maybe...Maybe she could love her daddy too. She wanted to inspire her daddy in just the way Sosuke inspired her, and maybe, just maybe her Dad would come visit her, and hug her, and play with her.

Her head snapped up, gasping in surprise as the waves a little ways out from her began to churn, a familiar figure appearing from below the surface. "Daddy..." she murmured.

Fujimoto's mess of red hair broke through the surface, rising as he came up out of the water. They stared in silence at each other for a few moments, unsure of what to say.

Ponyo watched her father glide slowly towards her in the water, his eyes cautious, "Hello, Ponyo. I uh...I sensed you nearby and wanted to check and make sure you were all right." he said in his usual brisk, rough tone.

Ponyo continued to stare at him, the twinge in her heart growing bigger and bigger before she suddenly leaped off of her rock and into the shallow water, making a big splash. Fujimoto gasped in surprise, watching his daughter run a few steps toward him and clung onto his leg, gripping it tightly.

"I love you daddy..." she said softly, her voice watery and soft with emotion.

Fujimoto tensed up, a wave of unusual emotions rocking through his body. He stood still awkwardly for a few moments, before a blissful feeling rushed through him at his daughter's affection, something the man had never experienced before. And it was beautiful.

Acting on instinct, he knelt down and wrapped his large arms around her as well in a gentle embrace, "I love you too, Ponyo." he murmured in response.

Fujimoto hugged her tighter, burying his nose into her little shoulder. Out of the corner of his eye he noticed three figures standing on the cliff looking down at them. He recognized two of them as Lisa and Sosuke, Ponyo's land family. Lisa looked down at them, a smile on her face as tears pooled in her eyes. Sosuke had a smile on his face that could light up the day, his eyes shining in happiness as he waved down at them.

The two hugged for a long time, Ponyo snuggling into her father's shoulder for the first time, filled with a sense of contentment and belonging. Both had forgiven each other, and it was as if nature was restored again. It all came naturally to them, the uncontrolled devotion and love between a father and his child. Nothing could interrupt it. Ever.

_Far away, the ocean trembled with joyful laughter, Granmamare's shimmering form drifting over the water. The air tingled with bliss, and life brimmed under the ocean. _

_Love restored at last._

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**Don't forget to review!**

**-Picklepeppers**


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